I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mount for a telemetry receiver used in conjunction with a cage.
II. Description of Related Art
DSI telemetry receivers of the type used with caged animals are typically equipped with welded slots on their rear surface. These slots are dimensioned to receive the head of a quarter inch carriage bolt which is slidably received within the slot.
In order to attach the telemetry receiver to the wall of a cage for an animal, the telemetry receiver is positioned on the inside surface of the wall and so that the carriage bolts slidably positioned within the telemetry receiver slots extend through the wall and outside of the cage. The bolts are then secured to the cage utilizing oversized fender washers and nuts to securely bolt the receiver to the inside of the animal cage. Thereafter, the data cable for the telemetry receiver is attached to the receiver to communicate the data collected by the receiver to a computer or other recording device.
When moving the animal from one cage to another for routine cleaning of the cage or moving the animal from a testing area to a housing area, the scientist or technician currently has two options to move the animal and continue to collect the telemetry data once the animal is moved. One way is to stop the data collection from the telemetry receiver and close the computer file. The computer program is then restarted with a second receiver at the new animal cage and a new data file is initiated. Unfortunately, this method takes time and requires twice the number of receivers, i.e. one receiver for the old cage and a new receiver for the new cage.
A still further disadvantage of this previously known method is that two data files are created for the same animal. Thus, when restarting the data collection with a new receiver, the software must be configured for the new receiver. This method is disadvantageously time consuming for the analysis of the collected data since the collected data must be analyzed for two or even more different computer files. Furthermore, since two or even more data files must be analyzed, there exists the risk of mixing data results for different animals.
Alternatively, when moving the animal the computer data collection program is paused. The data cable for the telemetry receiver is then unplugged from the receiver.
Thereafter, a wrench is used to loosen the carriage bolts holding the receiver to the wall of the cage and, once loose, the telemetry receiver is slid out from the carriage bolts and removed from the cage. The telemetry receiver is then mounted on the new or second cage, the data cable reconnected to the computer, and the computer is unpaused.
While this alternate method minimizes the number of telemetry receivers required to monitor the animals and results in a single data file on one computer, it suffers from its own disadvantages. First, the overall procedure of removing the telemetry receiver from one cage and reattaching the telemetry receiver to a second cage is time consuming and difficult to accomplish, particularly since protective clothing is usually required for animal handling. Furthermore, this procedure also requires tools for loosening and tightening the nuts onto the carriage bolts and the attendant risk of dropping and losing the fastener hardware.